Sarah O'Connor

🎵 Ed Sheeran wins another landmark copyright battle! Following his May 2023 victory alongside Warner Music Group and Sony Music Publishing, the Second Circuit has now ruled that basic chord progressions can't be copyrighted - a huge win for musical creativity! The November 2024 verdict in the case against STRUCTURED ASSET SALES, LLC (SAS) reinforces that fundamental musical elements remain free for all artists to use. As the court put it: "Overprotecting such basic elements would threaten to stifle creativity and undermine the purpose of copyright law." The ruling supports what Sheeran and his co-writer Amy Wadge have maintained - that "Thinking Out Loud" was independently created. As his lawyer Donald zakarin of Pryor Cashman noted, this decision aligns with the earlier jury verdict, firmly establishing that common musical building blocks should stay in the public domain. A significant victory for songwriters everywhere! 🎸 👉 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eWMv7TdF #LIPW #IP #Copyright #Music #Innovation #LegalNews #EdSheeran Credit: Bill Donahue Patsnap | Sun IP | Ankar AI | PRV | Dennemeyer| The Global IP Matrix Magazine | The Women's IP World Annual | Loom Analytics

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Yesterday, the U.S. Copyright Office published a report titled The Geography of Copyright Registrations, which provides detailed insights into the geographic distribution of various kinds of copyright filings originating across the United States. While copyright filings are understandably more heavily concentrated in population centers, analysis of per capita copyright filings show the impact that even a single active registrant can have on regional copyright filing activities.

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“A lawsuit filed against US streaming service Pandora by the MLC is “a wild overreach” of the US mechanical rights collecting society’s remit. Or so says Pandora, in its response to that lawsuit. As well as disputing the claims made against it - the MLC “apparently thinks it knows better than the entire music publishing industry” Expanding on that theme, Pandora argues that the MLC - which was created by the 2018 US Music Modernization Act - is not “authorised to play judge and jury over a streaming service’s legal compliance”, nor can it “insist that Pandora fundamentally change its approach to licensing an entire tier of its service solely because the MLC has taken upon itself to press a legally incoherent position at odds with the view of the rest of the music industry”…. This dispute centres on what licences Pandora requires when it comes to the songs that its users stream. With on-demand streaming, like Spotify, it is agreed that services exploit both the performing rights and the mechanical rights of songs. In some countries, these different elements of the song copyright are licensed separately. In the US, collecting societies like BMI and ASCAP license the performing rights, while the MLC administers the compulsory licence that covers mechanical rights.” #Pandora #MLC #Streaming #Legal #Licensing #Copyright #CopyrightLaw #Interactive #StreamingRoyalties #Royalties #RecordedMusic #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #MusicStreams #MusicRoyalties #Songs #Recordings #US #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz

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Anthropic has settled parts of a lawsuit from music publishers over alleged copyright infringement by its Claude AI model, accused of distributing song lyrics without permission. The agreement, approved by a federal judge, requires Anthropic to maintain guardrails against copyright violations in its AI training and to collaborate with music publishers to address potential issues. The publishers, including Universal Music Group and Concord, claim Anthropic used lyrics from over 500 protected songs without licenses. A ruling on a requested injunction to bar Anthropic from training future models on protected lyrics is expected soon. https://lnkd.in/gRi4EjTq #Anthropic #ClaudeAI #AImusic

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Copyright registration is a critical step in protecting your work as a professional photographer. Understanding the process can be challenging, but PPA has released five new videos that walk photographers through the complexities of copyright. https://ow.ly/HBsY50Twmfy

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"The Second Circuit Court stuck to the facts of the case, which was about IA lending digitized copies of books that were licensable: they did not address every implementation of CDL by libraries." Jennie Rose Halperin for Library Futures This is a level-headed take on the Internet Archive's predictable own goal. The ruling doesn't jeopardize legitimate libraries' acquisition and lending of ebooks, nor does it kill other reasonable implementations of CDL outlined here — including what IA was doing before recklessly deciding to ignore its core principles at the start of the pandemic. #libraries #CDL #ebooks https://lnkd.in/eQ2yfjj2

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“Songs by Adele, Bob Dylan, Green Day, R.E.M., Burna Boy, Rush and many others are currently unplayable on YouTube in the U.S. due to a legal dispute between the platform and the performing rights organization SESAC. Attempts to play many, but not all, songs by those artists on Saturday met with the following message: “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.” "In a statement to Variety, a YouTube rep said: “We have held good faith negotiations with SESAC to renew our existing deal. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an equitable agreement before its expiration. We take copyright very seriously and as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the US. We are in active conversations with SESAC and are hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible.” Reps for SESAC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A source close to the situation tells Variety that the previous deal actually does not expire until next week, and suggests that YouTube’s move is a negotiating tactic. SESAC is far smaller than ASCAP and BMI — with approximately 30,000 members and 1.5 million compositions while ASCAP has nearly 800,000 members — but as the caliber of artists affected by the block shows, it represents a comparatively large percentage of the marketplace." Read the article for more: #SESAC #YouTube #Streaming #CMOs #PROs #ASCAP #BMI #Adele #BobDylan #GreenDay #REM #BurnaBoy #Rush #Songwriters #MusicPublishing #Copyright #DerechoDeAutor #DroitdAuteur #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #DigitalRights #MusicRights #Songs

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This is a publishing story! Alexandra Alter writes in today's The New York Times The Morning about a market segment made up of the most fervent book buyers and readers. "There’s a boom in romance bookstores. More than 20 of them have sprung up around the United States in the past few years — up from just two in 2020 — and more are on the way. They have quirky names like the Ripped Bodice, Tropes & Trifles, Love’s Sweet Arrow, and Kiss & Tale. They’re sprinkled across the country, from Alaska to Maine. They’re largely owned and operated by women, and have become vibrant community hubs for romance fans. As a reporter who covers publishing, I’ve been following the soaring sales for romance, which is by far the top-selling fiction genre. But the arrival of brick-and-mortar romance stores struck me as something new, and surprising. Romance writers and their fans point out that, about a decade ago, there wasn’t much enthusiasm for the genre in independent bookstores. Even though romance has long been a major moneymaker for publishers, the literary world tended to look down on it as frothy and unserious, or worse, as smut. The current romance craze traces to the early days of the pandemic, when millions of people were stuck at home, bored and anxious, and rediscovered their love of reading. Book sales spiked in 2020 and 2021, and romance in particular saw a steep and sustained rise. Its appeal during times of turmoil and uncertainty is obvious: Romance novels offer comfort and escape, and the stories often land on what fans call an “H.E.A.” — a Happily Ever After. Many who turned to romance during the pandemic seem to have kept up the habit. Print sales of romance books more than doubled in the last few years, from 18 million copies in 2020 to 39 million in 2023. The new crop of romance bookstores look and feel different from your typical local independent shop. They carry thousands of books in every conceivable romantic subgenre — historical, L.G.B.T.Q., young adult, romantic suspense, supernatural, romantasy, sports-themed romance — and many carry a wide selection of self-published novels that mainstream booksellers don’t stock. Some customers I spoke to said that they loved being able to shop without feeling judged for their tastes, and that booksellers were happy to steer them toward whatever they fancy: secret billionaire romance, B.D.S.M. erotica, Sapphic vampire romance, polyamorous hockey romance. They’ve become hubs for romance fans, not just to buy books but also to gather for book clubs, writing workshops, trivia contests and cheekily themed craft nights. https://lnkd.in/eydDja2Y.

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I've always felt lucky to work at Law360 as part of what was, for more than a decade, a constantly growing group of dedicated journalists. I've seen the newsroom move in breadth and depth every year to become a collection of talented professionals responsible for an award-winning, best-in-class publication. But the past nigh-on two years of bargaining with management for our second contract have progressed from stonewalling and intransigence at the bargaining table to the heartless and illegal layoffs of 10 percent of our newsroom. Law360 and LexisNexis management continue to insist on wage proposals that don't properly value our labor or account for inflation, a healthcare proposal that shifts an unacceptably disproportionate share of insurance costs onto unionized workers, and inadequate compensation for our 26 colleagues who were illegally laid off earlier this year. We don't have to accept management's stingy offers, and we're not. The workers of Law360 stand united and as of today are on an indefinite Unfair Labor Practice Strike. We need your help, too, though. Please respect our digital picket line and don't open your Law360 newsletters, don't go to the website, and don't interact with the company on social media. We are putting all the pressure we can on the on the company in order to get the contract we deserve and we won't stop until we get it. You can help us get there faster. Sign the pledge not to cross our picket line: https://lnkd.in/eMUX8npc And please help financially support our strikers with a donation to our union's hardship fund (we don't get paid on strike and many of our strikers are showing solidarity at considerable personal expense): https://lnkd.in/eKmeiBsZ

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Harvey. I had heard the word (name?) several times, but wasn't clear exactly what the legal tech product did. I wasn't alone. Isha Marathe, with Stephanie Wilkins and Rhys Dipshan contributing (and editing, but we all know that isn't a real job), gives the lay of the land for a product that is both getting a lot of positive buzz and a significant number of questions about its actual purpose in the lucrative legal tech arena. Two-parter, worth every word. - The Hype Behind Harvey: How the Stealthy Startup Is Raising Industry Eyebrows: https://lnkd.in/gp9KwUBR - The Hype Behind Harvey: How Firms Are Using the Gen AI Startup: https://lnkd.in/g3x78ix7

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#Music Publishers Reach Deal With #AI Giant Anthropic Over #Copyrighted Song Lyrics "Anthropic's Claude will no longer provide lyrics to songs owned by the music publishers or new lyrics based on copyrighted material." https://lnkd.in/eDhh95Hn

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This post sheds light on the challenges faced in securing union protections for animation writers, fair compensation for writer-producers, and comprehensive coverage for made-for-new-media programs, as highlighted by the WGA East. The unresolved issue of residual payments for reuse on streaming services adds to the complexity of the situation. Drawing from firsthand experience as a former Producer for a PBS kids series, I understand the intricacies of managing writer contracts and hiring the Head Writer/Show Runner. My approach involves sourcing talented writers globally, even those not affiliated with the WGA. Noteworthy writers from our series, who emerged from the Fred Rogers Writers Program, exemplify exceptional skills despite lacking WGA membership or agents. To advocate for fairness, implementing a "Favored Nations" clause is crucial to ensure all writers receive equitable compensation, irrespective of union affiliation. I strongly support either full unionization or non-union status for shows. The Animation union's strict guidelines underscore the importance of clarity in production practices to avoid penalties or expulsion. Embracing a global talent pool for writers enriches the show's vision and audience appeal. Analyzing streaming data reveals the international reach of our content, emphasizing the need for writers to mirror our diverse audience. Prioritizing writers' demands is essential for PBS to uphold its values and navigate the evolving socio-political landscape. Addressing loopholes that could compromise writers' rights is vital for enhancing taxpayer-supported productions. Let's approach these challenges with a dedication to fairness and professionalism, establishing a model of inclusive and ethical production practices that benefit all involved. #WritersRights #FairCompensation #StopExploitation

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I absolutely love Google's new AI app - NotebookLM. Thanks to Chad Mairn for posting about it. I've written about my experience with it here: FAQ: Generative AI in Law Libraries & Notebook LM "NotebookLM is an exciting new (and free!) AI application modeled on Google’s generative AI model, Gemini 1.5 Pro, that will create briefing documents, FAQs, timelines, study guides, tables of contents, and even a podcast based on your content!"

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Around three years ago, Penguin Random House unexpectedly took over comic distribution for Marvel and trade paperbacks for DC, taking away rights from Diamond Comics distributors that they held onto for decades. Today Penguin announced purchasing a top 7 comics publishers with Boom Studios, expanding their presence in the comic book industry. Comic book sales have been doing surprisingly well the past few years, with trade paperbacks and digital comics seeing a lot of growth. Boom also has some IP that can be mined for future media projects, although money is not being thrown around as much for comic book adaptations as much as before back during the streaming wars. It's a careful strategic move that will allow Penguin to have even more influence in the comics world. https://lnkd.in/esjtkuEt

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